At long last, spring has arrived! (or has it?) There is so much to do in every corner of the yard this month that it is difficult to know where to start. In my opinion, the first and foremost thing to do is to stand back for a moment, and simply enjoy the beauty that Mother Nature has given us....
Listen to the birds as they sing you a spring melody... dream a little... and then put on the gardening gloves and head out to make your dream garden a reality! As you begin your quest for the perfect garden, don’t overdo it! It’s probably been a few months since you gave those muscles and bones a good workout, so start out slowly and avoid that Monday morning backache.
Caring for Your Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs
April is the month for planting summer flowering bulbs like Dahlias, Gladiolas and Lilies. Mix bulb fertilizer, processed manure and peat moss into the planting soil. Tuberous Begonias and Canna should not be set outdoors until all danger of frost has passed, so wait until next month. Plant annual seeds of Asters, Cosmos, Marigolds and Zinnias in the garden. When all frost danger has passed you can move your stored Fuchsias and Geraniums outdoors. Trim them back, feed and re-pot if necessary. Water them well. When they have finished blooming, you should deadhead your spring flowering bulbs. Divide perennials like Daylilies, Delphiniums, Iris, Chrysanthemums, Daisies,and Phlox. The additional plants you create can be traded or given to friends, or moved to a new area of the garden.
April Lawn Care
The application of a spring type of lawn fertilizer should perk up the lawn and improve its over-all color and appearance. If there is moss growing in the lawn, use spring lawn fertilizer that has the moss-killer included, so you can do both jobs in one easy application. Spring is also a good time to thatch and overseed the lawn. Over seeding will help fill-in the lawn and deter the re-growth of moss and weeds.
Spring Has Arrived